Write Stuff: January 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Blog Tour Interview with Mary Waibel author of DIFFERENT KIND OF KNIGHT

Real quick, once you get done with this awesome post, come find me over on the fab JRo's blog (whose book NO PLACE TO FALL is going to be amazeballs! Come say hello :)

Today it's my pleasure to bring to you Mary Waibel, an author whose work I love, and a chance to get to get to know her a little better. Here are my questions for Mary:

(Q) I think it’s pretty safe to say that most writers love reading. What are some of the books that influenced you the most? Anything you’d like to recommend?

I read across a wide variety of genres, but the common theme is romance. I love a good romance. As for recommendations, Jennifer Armentrout's LUX series- hot aliens. Enough said. Kai Strand's KING OF BAD-super villains in training. Someone had to train them. Meradeth Houston's SARY series-guardian angels. Mmm. For the romance lovers- THE DEVIL TAKE YOU by HK Carlton-sexy brogue. Yum! THE ANTIQUE LOVE and THE SILK ROMANCE by Helena Fairfax-sweet, timeless romances. THE PROPHECY by Erin Albert- high fantasy with a unique love triangle.

(Q) What is your favorite part of the writing process? What about it makes you love it?

I love the discovery part of the first draft. Getting to learn my characters and seeing where they want to go is such fun! I also enjoy working on edits- doing the fine tuning to get my story just right.

(Q) What’s your biggest pet-peeve when it comes to the writing world? Does anything get under your skin and itch?

I think my biggest pet peeve in the writing world is lack of editing. This is an issue that used to give self-published authors a bad name, but recently I've seen bad editing in some books from the big six. And it drives me crazy! I know no matter how many times you look through, you might not catch all the errors, but these seemed to not have been looked over at all. So, if you're an author, be sure to proof everything before you hit send!

(Q) If you could meet any writer, living or dead, and pick their brain over coffee/tea/hot-chocolate, who would it be? What would be your first question?

I'd pick Nora Roberts. She writes such well-rounded and interesting characters. My first question would be how do you make such well-rounded, well-formed characters?

Mary lives with her husband, son and two cats. When she isn't twisting fairytales, she enjoys reading, playing games, watching hockey, and camping. Her Princess of Valendria series (Quest of the Hart, Charmed Memories, Different Kind of Knight) are available from MuseItUp Publishing and other major retailers. Her Faery Marked (book 1 in the Faery Series) will be available from BookFishBooks this summer.

You can find Mary Waibel at:
http://marywaibel.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/authormarywaibel
@mewtweety14 (twitter)

SPECIAL OFFER FROM MUSEITPUBLSIHING.COM:

And don't forget the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday Teaser from SURRENDER THE SKY

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

As my release date for the third Sary book draws nearer, I thought it might be fun to share a little scene :) (Though, warning, this isn't finished being edited yet, so any errors should be taken with a ~~pound~~ grain of salt!)

The gentle hand on my shoulder caught me off guard. I turned to stare at it for a long second before his other hand ran along my arm.

“I’m sorry. I should have seen it earlier. Is he okay?” My voice broke and I felt so stupid all over again.

He just shushed me while his hand cupped my cheek. Before I could think to react, he leaned around me, a flash of dark eyes and long lashes, and then his lips touched mine.

He caught my gasp of surprise, magnifying it into something that made everything inside me tingle. In one swift motion, he pulled me to my feet, his arms around my waist, and his soft kiss deepened. His tongue flicked past my teeth, and my hands slid into his hair, around his neck, unable to get enough of the touch of his skin and the solid muscles that tightened under my touch.

Pressed up against him, his warmth seeped in every last one of my cells, every inch that touched him. I pushed closer, wanting every bit of me connected to him.

He slid his lips down my throat, and I gasped. His low chuckle made goose bumps rise across my back.

I wanted to change my form, let his fingers slide between my wings, tickle the down at the base. I wanted him to touch and know every last little piece of me.

One of his arms worked loose, and he slid it down my back, over my rear, and grabbed my leg to wrap it around him. A second later, I ended up on the counter, both legs around his waist—reveling as his hands slid through my hair, traced down my back, and teased the edge of my shirt. Fire ran through my core and I wanted to pull my shirt off and let him explore, but I couldn’t get my mind to figure out how to do that.

“Oh, man, Jassen,” I said before I pressed my lips to his again.

The sharp slap of something hard hitting against flesh took a second to register. It took even longer to figure out why he’d pulled away.

“Wha—” I didn’t get the word out, just stared at the dazed Sary standing before me.

And his twin in the doorway, the Maglite flashlight I kept next to the kitchen door in his hands. Both twins glared at one another with enough hatred to melt glass.

“Who?” I ventured to ask but couldn’t say anything more. I knew.

Coolest Reflection Ever!

After Reading: THE CROWN OF EMBERS by Rea Carson

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy. (Goodreads)

I reviewed the first book in this series THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS here.

It's rare for me to come across the second book in a series that I liked more than the first. Whether that be because not particularly enjoying the first means I don't often pick up the second, or for some other reason, I don't know, but this was a case where I loved the second book in the series. The first just didn't draw me in as much; however, this one really did. I loved Elisa's voice in this book, her struggles, her growth. Also, Hector, well, he was swoon-worthy :) I was invested in Elisa becoming a better queen, in solving the problems of her country, and attempting to find a way to do that. Also, Storm was just a fascinating character to me, and I liked getting to know a bit more about the Inviernos. Plus, the hints of Spanish and culture made me happy. The cliff-hanger of an ending left me happy to know I can go out and grab The Bitter Kingdom right now!

Anyone read this? Thoughts on the series? Or is there a second book in a series that you liked more than the first?

Friday Chat: the tough choices when it comes to our writing

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Hi! Happy Friday everyone. I hope you have an awesome weekend coming up. It's the last one I have before this next semester begins and I hope to do a whole lot of relaxing before I have to turn into a teaching machine (aka, professor sans head that runs around and desperately attempts to keep everything going). Anyhow, because I don't have a Sary in the Real World post for today (hint to anyone who wants to share!), I thought I'd chat about the hardest decisions you've had to make as an author, or just in general for those who aren't authors :)

My writing career has been full of lots of ups and downs. One of the biggest decisions I had to make was whether or not to go with a small press back when I first signed with MuseItUp. Now, there's tons of info out there on either side of this debate, but this was the choice I made and for the most part it's been good for me. I definitely wish I had more marketing skills, but I do what I can.

Another tough choice I had to make recently was when my normal editor for the Sary books had an accident that led to me being reassigned in the middle of revisions on my next release, Surrender the Sky. I suddenly ended up with a new editor in the middle of a book and series. And, well, I knew from our first email exchange that this was going to be different. My general response to anything like this is to be nice and just deal--nothing comes from making waves for minor things. But then I got my comments back for my next round. And I knew this was just not going to work. We had very different views on many things and while there were some really good points she made, which I was happy to work with, there were others that just made clear to me that our differences in how this book worked

were going to be insurmountable.

I felt bad. I still do. I asked to be reassigned to another editor. It was a really tough choice for me. But I honestly think it's better to work with an editor who likes your book, at least on some level. Sure, someone else can edit it and help out, but finding someone to work with who wants to spend some time in the world you've created is also important. Otherwise, well, it's just going through the motions and there's nothing of the magic that is writing.

In some ways, I'm glad. The whole situation stressed me out like crazy. And I realized that I really didn't need that. I stood up for myself and my books. I don't want something like this to reflect poorly on me or my book or my writing, but sometimes tough choices have to be made. This was just a recent one in a few crazy years of being a published author :)

How about you--what kinds of tough choices have you had to make as an author? Or just in general?

After Reading: LUCKY NUMBER FOUR by Amanda Jason

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Pandora Ann Phillips' life is just normal-crazy

Her mom's a psychic, her dad's mom is a snob, her mom's parental units are "too down to earth" and her best friends are newlyweds. Okay, so her best friends being newlyweds isn't really abnormal, but living with them in a cramped two-bedroom apartment definitely is. Sex, sex, sex is totally on their minds. Actually it's not only on their minds, but it's on the kitchen table, couch, on top of the washer...well, you get the picture.

Being a celibate (not by choice, mind you) full-time college student, and an almost full-time barista, Pandora can't afford to lose anymore sleep. So, she seeks out a new place to lay her head. Enter three "drool worthy" male models that are looking for a fourth roommate and they want her...and won't take no for an answer.
Hilarity ensues as Pandora's life turns completely upside down, and she begins to wonder if it will ever be the same again! (Goodreads)

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were elements I loved and found fun, like Dora's family (who aren't really as crazy as she makes out--seriously, visit my family's house during the holidays!), and her best friend who's a total lifesaver, and her married friends who were hilarious. But there were a few things that I was less than drawn in by--it took me a long time to be able to tell the roommates apart and they all blended together for a good chunk of the book (a good looking blend, but still!). And I never felt like we got to know any of them really well, which was frustrating. Also, I kind of hated how the book ended. The two main twists at the end were just a little over the top for me. Honestly, I found myself mostly drawn to the amazing apartment they lived in :) That probably says more about me than I should admit. Anyhow, this book has some seriously awesome potential, and was fun fluff, but I think it could have taken things so much further.

Have I mentioned that I hate posting reviews of books I didn't totally love? But, I'd rather be honest than not, so there you have it!

Cover Reveal: MODEL POSITION by Kitsy Clare

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

I have an awesome cover to share today! What do you think?

BLURB:

For Sienna, love and art are perilous games. Is she ready to take that gamble?

Sienna is a beautiful, talented artist poised on the precipice of soaring into the glamorous, yet cutthroat Manhattan art scene.

Dave Hightower is a hooked-up, handsome heir to the hippest gallery in NYC, Gallery Hightower.

Erik is the live drawing model with his sizzling green eyes fixed only on Sienna.

Three’s a crowd, so Sienna must make a choice: date Dave and ride the fast track to landing a show at Gallery Hightower and hobnobbing with the art glitterati, or follow her heart and take a chance with Erik, the stunning male model who’s stealing her heart. But Erik has some worrisome secrets, and who in their right mind would make live modeling their career?

Dare Sienna throw away her chances of hitting it big to follow her heart?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

When Kitsy Clare isn’t creating stories on her favorite Mac Air, she teaches speculative fiction and creative writing workshops. She also loves to draw, travel, read spicy romance, sci-fi and all kinds of thrillers. She divides her time between New York City and her studio in the Catskills, where she enjoys the sounds of birds, bullfrogs and the random coyote.

Kitsy Clare is the pen name for her new adult romance. She also writes young adult fiction using her real name, Catherine Stine. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One won finalist spots in both YA and Science Fiction in the 2013 USA Book News International Book Awards. It was also granted an Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Ruby’s Fire, the new companion novel to Fireseed One, is receiving high praise from reviewers. She’s a member of SFWA, SCBWI and CBIG. She can be found on www.catherinestine.com, www.catherinestine.blogspot.com, and https://twitter.com/crossoverwriter

After Reading: NETHERWORLD by Lisa Morton

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

In nineteenth-century Victorian England, a young widow finds that she has inherited more than her late husband’s property: The Furnavals serve as the ancestral keepers of supernatural portals scattered around the globe. When demonic entities begin crossing over from the Netherworld, Lady Diana realizes that a war is brewing, and she must be the one to confront it.
Accompanied by a young Chinese sailor named Yi-kin, her feline guardian Mina, and a mysterious scholar, Stephen, Diana will begin a journey to solve the mystery of her husband's death and prevent the apocalypse. (Goodreads)

Major thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I'm struggling with where to start this review. I enjoyed this book--the world was a great deal of fun, I felt drawn in to the adventures of Diana, and I was curious to find out what happened. Really, the main issue I had with the story was that I wasn't really drawn to Diana. At the end of the book, I still didn't feel like I had any connection with her. I imagine this is a personal thing, but I kind of just didn't care for her much. I was honestly much more drawn to Yi-Kin and found him very interesting, and wished I'd seen more of him. The book did traverse a great deal of ground, which was well done and interesting from a historical perspective (and made me miss San Francisco fiercely). Overall, I think it was more my personal taste that left me not particularly getting sucked into this one, and others will feel differently. It's a fun read, and if you enjoy a good historical with a paranormal bent, this is one you might want to take a look at.

Have you heard of this one? Have another historical paranormal you love?

Tell Me When Blog Hop

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Today it's my pleasure to take part in Stina Lendenblatt's bloghop with the topic of stalking. Stina's book, TELL ME WHEN, deals with the aftermath of a stalking event, and the goal of the hop is to talk and discuss the subject. More details can be found here.

The first thing I think of when stalking comes to mind today is actually cyberstalking. So, I think we're all probably guilty of checking someone out online. I mean, who hasn't googled an ex at some point? Some people call this "stalking", often in an off-hand kind of humorous way.

But there's a definite line to be crossed where the use of technology is used to harass and instill fear into the person being stalked. According to the dictionary definition, cyberstalking is "the repeated use of electronic communications to harass or frighten someone, for example by sending threatening e-mails." Of course, people are creative. There's always new ways they can come up with to cyberstalk. But, I'd say, the underlying problem is the fear and harassment that can really harm someone and do some serious psychological damage. Anyhow, if you, or someone you know, if facing problems with this, then don't hesitate to seek help! A few places you might want to look into:

http://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center
http://stalkingawarenessmonth.org
http://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center/help-for-victims/stalking-safety-planning
http://www.victimsofcrime.org/docs/src/stalking-a-handbook-for-victims.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Sary in the Real World: Roland Yeomans and his hurricane tale!

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Hi everyone! I'm back with another Sary in the Real World post! And I have an awesome one today. Please say hello to Roland, check out his blog (a great post on the cat, Gypsy, mentioned below), and his books: FRENCH QUARTER NOCTURNE and DEATH IN THE HOUSE OF LIFE.

And if you're interested in sporting a post in the future, I'd LOVE that! :)

“Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars.”

- Frederick Langbridge

"There are epic events in each person's life. What we make of them determines what we make of our lives."

- Shelly Blatt

Hopefully, I will not sound like that starlet who said to an ear-weary Groucho Marx:

"Enough about me. What do you think of me?"

Hurricane Katrina and Rita swept through New Orleans and Lake Charles. Neither city has fully recovered.

And those of us who survived are changed forever by it.

Some years ago, Hurricane Rita was a category 5 hurricane. I spent the morning running rare blood to scrambling hospitals.

I drove back home to wolf down a hurried lunch. A mandatory evacuation was issued. I went downstairs.

Someone had siphoned the gas from my car. All the gas stations were shut down. I was stranded in the path of a killer hurricane.

Alone.

Or not so alone.

Freddie, my supervisor, called checking in on me. He offered me a ride in his car as he drove beside his wife's car containing his two children.

So with the clothes on my back, my laptop on my lap, and Gypsy, my cat, in a carrier, I rode with my friend into the darkness.

The highways were shut down. We drove the back roads, the cypress trees bending down over us in the blackness as if listening to our whispered voices. Freddie's eyes were hollow.

As we passed his wife's car, I saw she was frantic, on the verge of panic.

I winked at the pale faces of Freddie's two children, Allison and Abigail, pulled Gypsy, my cat, out of the carrier, and picked up her front paw as if she were waving at the two girls.

They giggled. And the grip of panic on their mother seemed to break.

She waved back and gave a valiant smile with a thumb's up salute.

Freddie studied me for a moment and said, "Dude, you're like Job."

"How so?"

"I mean you got your gas siphoned out of your car just when you needed it most."

"I bet a lot of people did."

"Yeah, but if Rita hits Lake Charles, this will be the second time you'll have lost everything.

You lost it all when your home burned. And before that you closed your business. Your mother died before that. And before that your fiancee died. And your childhood best friend died before Kathy. Damn, it's like you're Job."

I nodded, smiling sadly, "As I recall Job ended up pretty well."

"You've got a strange way at looking at life, dude."

"You're not the first to say that."

We made it to Baton Rouge where I worked delivering rare blood to all the hospitals reeling under the impact of Katrina.

I drove to the hospital of Metairie, the first suburb of New Orleans. (It is a French term for a tenant farm.)

I saw people who had only thought they knew what having nothing meant. I smelled the stench of decaying human flesh on the breath of a too silent city.

I saw young boys in uniform trying to be men under impossible conditions.

Late at night I typed the first draft of FRENCH QUARTER NOCTURNE, alone in the spacious suite afforded me by the blood center for which I worked.

It had been leased for the board of directors to oversee the new center in Baton Rouge.

So for two months I slept in a prince's suite. Gypsy was, for once, satisfied with her accommodations, she being a princess and all.

I barely saw the suite. I was always driving it seemed --

down long, unfamiliar roads to strange hospitals protected by hollow-eyed young boys with automatic weapons and dry mouths.

On my days off, I would volunteer to drive vans for the Salvation Army, Red Cross, church groups, or out-of-state relatives frantic to find lost loved ones. There are stories in that time that haunt me still, but they belong to shattered, valiant hearts.

Finally, the blood couriers were allowed back to our devastated city.

It was like something from a post-apocalyptic movie. But these ruined streets and gutted homes I knew. Our city has never truly recovered. But my friends are a hardy bunch.

Me? I just fake it.

I've only mentioned one snippet of my life, and look how much I have written. Sigh. Like Freddie says, I tend to talk a lot.

But he smiles good-naturedly when he says it.

After Reading: THE APOLLO ACADEMY by Kimberly P. Chase

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

As the heiress to Titon Technologies, eighteen-year-old Aurora Titon can have whatever she wants—clothes, expensive gadgets, anything money can buy. All she really wants is to escape her pampered, paparazzi-prone life for the stars. Becoming the first female pilot to train as an astronaut for the Apollo Academy is exactly the chance for which she has been waiting. Everything would be perfect if it weren't for her unreciprocated crush on a fellow student, the sexy astronaut bent on making her life hell, and the fact that someone keeps trying to kill her. The first in a four book new adult science fiction series, The Apollo Academy, is an action packed story of love, discovery, and survival. (Goodreads)

I finished this last year, but am finally managing to get a review up. That's definitely not a reflection on what I thought of the book though, because I loved this one! I have a soft spot for NA sci-fi, and this didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the world that Chase has created and felt it was incredibly believable. I read it while visiting family where several of my nephews were seriously unable to look up from their game systems for days at a time--it totally made me think that the world Chase has put together is so possible! And then I was reading Wired Magazine, with their Wearable Tech on the front cover, and I just had to laugh. The world Chase has may be a whole lot closer than we think. For better, or worse. Anyhow, I really enjoyed the characters as well, and found them all to be very believable and nuanced. Aurora was really easy to identify with, and Zane is great--I can't wait to learn more about him. Anyhow, definitely the start of a great series and I can't wait to see more!

Have you had a chance to check this one out? Have another sci-fi to recommend?

Giveaway Winner!!

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Thanks so much to all those who entered! I loved seeing what everyone's looking forward to in 2014. So, thanks to random.org, the winner is:

Stephanie from The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow!

I'll be emailing! And if you really want a necklace, I may be coerced into making one--let me know, m'k? :)

On another note of shameless begging, if anyone wants to do a Friday post here on my blog, let me know! I've been utterly swamped over the holidays and unable to keep up my Sary in the Real World posts (about someone helping you out when you needed it most), but I'd love to get that ball rolling again. If anyone's game, or want to do any other kind of spotlight/interview/something cool they want to try out, let me know--my 2014 is looking pretty sparse at the moment!

Ringing in 2014! Reviews, goals, and a #giveaway!

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Happy New Year! How did you all celebrate? Anyone have a kiss at midnight? :)

I know the web is flooded with posts looking back at 2013, but I can't resist a little nostalgia. Last year was pretty crazy for me, so I'm really just happy to have survived it. In short form:

I finished teaching my first year as a professor and started my second. At some point I really will get the hang of it.
I read 46 non-academic books. Considering the above point, I'm counting that as a decent score.
A traveled to a few new countries while on a Caribbean cruise with my in-laws. It's safe to say I could easily move to any of them if someone would like to fund me :)
My second novel, The Chemistry of Fate released. If you'd like to grab a copy, I'd love that (hint-hint!).
I wrote, revised, and had the 3rd Sary book (Surrender the Sky) accepted for publication. Expect it early this summer.
Colors Like Memories released in paperback.
I wrote/contributed to two academic papers, based on research I've been working on. It amazes me that a 20 page paper can often be just as much work as a 200 page book.

Okay, that's enough randomness! Still, lots of crazy things, and a serious dose of stress for 2013. Anyhow, I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Resolutions. But there are a few things I'd like to see happen this coming year, and with that in mind, here's a few things that I plan to work toward in 2014:

Read just as many, if not more, novels as last year. Considering how much I love to read, this is a bonus.
Get an agent for, or sell my NA sci-fi (An Absence of Light). Fingers crossed!
Escape the eternally grey skies of Montana as much as possible :)
And the kicker: learn how to not stress so much. This is definitely something I need to be better at, for my health especially, and so I have some hair left. I swear I spent most of last year rushing from one thing to another, but I'm really hoping I can figure out how to handle it all better this coming year. We'll see how I manage!

Okay, giveaway time! I haven't done anything fun lately, so I figure it's a good way to kick the year off. I've been having a lot of fun making these really cute necklaces with different words on them (you can pick the word for yours!). To enter, all you need to do is let me know in the comments what you're most looking forward to in 2014. Bonus if you follow me on twitter and facebook (just say so in your comment). I'll pick a winner next Monday the 6th. Good luck!